The disclosure relates generally to a power electronics system and more specifically to a flexible power connector for effecting a power connection between power conducting units.
Transmission of power through an electric circuit results in energy losses such as conductive losses and inductive losses. Conductive losses typically include heat loss that is mainly due to the resistance of conductors and electrical connectors between the conductors. Similarly, inductive losses may be due to a change in the voltage and the inductance of the circuit. Moreover, the inductive losses may be proportional to a frequency of the voltage change and the inductance of the circuit. The inductance of the circuit may be influenced by the geometry of the circuit itself or by the geometry of the electrical connector.
The nature of power transmitted through electric circuits is continuously changing. For example, in switched circuits, the speed at which the voltage may change is constantly increasing with the onset of more advanced high switching speed semiconductors. Consequently, inductive losses are proportional to the speed of the voltage change and are related to the geometry of the circuit. Accordingly, increased attention must be paid to the geometry of electrical connectors in order to minimize inductive losses.
In the high power electronics industry, conventional power connectors are rarely designed to support advanced high switching speed semiconductors. Typically, the conventional power connectors are designed with two mating components, such as a male component and a female component. Generally, the male component is a two pole male component. Further, when this two pole male component mates with the female component, the female component has inherent wide gaps between the poles of the male component. These inherent wide gaps further result in inductive losses, such as parasitic inductance and conductive losses and contact resistance losses in the power connector. Particularly, these losses are very high when it is desirable for the power connector to handle a current in the range of hundreds of amperes and a switching frequency in a range of hundreds of kilohertz. In addition, since the power connectors include two mating components and especially, the male component is an expensive two-pole component, there is a substantial increase in the cost and complexity of the power connectors.
It is therefore desirable to develop a design of a power connector that reduces electrical losses in the power electronics system. Particularly, it is desirable to develop a low cost, rugged, and cost effective single component connector having low inductive and conductive losses.